‘Who will fill our shoes?’ missionaries ask conference women

MELBOURNE (FBC)—Tossed by waves of confusion and indecision, Gary Clifton struggled with a call to the international mission field for 20 years.

A college minister, Clifton was active in church work and ministry. Regardless of his level of commitment, thoughts of giving up his comfortable lifestyle to go on the mission field always pulled at his heart.

“Throughout the 20-year process that I was struggling, there was never a time that I said ‘No Lord, I will not go,’ but partial obedience is disobedience,” Clifton said. “Delayed obedience is disobedience. Conditional obedience is disobedience.”

Clifton, now a missionary to Venezuela, beseeched the 550 women at the April 15-16 Celebration of Missions meeting at First Baptist, Melbourne, to heed God’s voice if it was leading them to mission work.

“Today, sisters, if you hear His voice do not harden your hearts,” he said. “There is struggle in disobedience, but there is peace that comes with obedience.”

His words stirred Edna Beharrie to commit to action. Beharrie, a member of First Baptist Church, Sunrise, publicly pledged to further consider international missions during the altar call that concluded the two-day mission celebration.

“I know for sure the Lord has been calling me for missions,” Beharrie said. Though she has been an active participant with a missions group from the Gulf Stream Baptist Association, Beharrie said she thinks God may be calling her to use her medical training in a foreign country.

“I have a passion for missions and come from a nursing background, but I don’t know if the Lord is calling me abroad to do that,” she said.

The testimony of a missionary from a restricted African region inspired Mary Carolyn Davis of First Baptist, Clermont. The missionary’s story of a Muslim man who taught himself to read and write in order to study the Bible was “exciting and invigorating,” said the 76-year-old woman.

The man’s devotion to answer God’s call on his life despite the possible consequence of death reminded Davis that she, as a “Christ Follower,” was called in her youth and is still called today to live a mission-centered lifestyle.

“As you grow older people try to fit into a mold where you are not expected to do anything. But as Christians, we are all automatically called to missions whether young or old,” she said.

Dan Bailey, chaplain of the Space Coast Seafarers Ministry in Port Canaveral relayed examples of the practical ways he and his staff meet the needs of the 15,000 crew members from 96 different countries who travel to their port.

“We have an opportunity to touch the whole world strategically in port ministries,” said Bailey. “We have some seafarers who come from strong Muslim countries. With these individuals, there is an opportunity for them to receive religious materials they wouldn’t normally receive.”

“Our goal is to meet their physical, emotional and spiritual needs as we can in order to open a door to share the Gospel of Jesus,” he added.

Dennis Wilbanks, associate director of the Florida Baptist Convention’s Partnership Missions Department, echoed missionary Gary Clifton’s appeal to take God’s call to missions.

Wilbanks used creative Power Point displays to challenge the women to consider a mission trip and “get involved” with one of the Convention’s state or international partnerships.

“God receives glory as He works in and through your life,” said Wilbanks. “Will you hear when God calls you?”

Leading a time of prayer, commitment and dedication, Cecil Seagle, director of the Convention’s Mission Division reiterated that partial obedience yields wavering and uneasiness.  “In the boat of my life, I have found that I am drifting without direction if I am not anchored by Christ,” he said.

Encouraging a participation in missions, Clifton told the women that those who go have a promise that is found in the Great Commission.

“When Jesus said to ‘go and make disciples of all the nations,’ at the very end He says, ‘Lo I am with you always.’

“Only a passion for God and Him glorified will take one to the ends of the earth,” Clifton added. “To God be the glory forever.”